Henley and Thame
UK Parliament constituency (since 2024)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Henley and Thame is a constituency of the House of Commons in the UK Parliament.[2] Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, it was first contested at the 2024 general election.[3] The seat was won by Freddie van Mierlo representing the Liberal Democrats.
| Henley and Thame | |
|---|---|
| County constituency for the House of Commons | |
 Boundaries since 2024 | |
Boundary of Henley and Thame in South East England | |
| County | Oxfordshire |
| Electorate | 70,626 (2023)[1] |
| Major settlements | |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 2024 |
| Member of Parliament | Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrats) |
| Seats | One |
| Created from | Henley |
The constituency name comes from the towns of Henley-on-Thames and Thame in Oxfordshire.[4]
Constituency profile
The Henley and Thame constituency is located in Oxfordshire and covers a large rural area between Oxford and Reading. A large part of the constituency is covered by the Chilterns, a protected National Landscape of chalk hills. The constituency is named after its two main towns, Henley-on-Thames and Thame, which each have populations of around 13,000.[5][6] Other settlements include the small market town of Watlington and the villages of Sonning Common, Goring-on-Thames, Benson, Chalgrove, Chinnor and Wheatley. Henley-on-Thames and Thame are affluent, historic towns which fall within the 10% least-deprived areas in England.[7] The average house price in the constituency is higher than the rest of South East England and almost double the national average.[8]
In general, residents of the constituency are older, more religious, well-educated and have very high levels of income compared to the rest of the country.[8] A high proportion of residents work in professional or scientific occupations.[9] White people made up 94% of the population at the 2021 census.[8] At the local council level, most of the constituency is represented by Liberal Democrats with some Green Party councillors elected in the rural areas and villages. An estimated 56% of voters in the constituency supported remaining in the European Union in the 2016 referendum, higher than the nationwide figure of 48%.[8]
Boundaries
The constituency is composed of the following (as they existed on 1 December 2020):
- The District of South Oxfordshire wards of: Benson & Crowmarsh; Berinsfield; Chalgrove; Chinnor; Forest Hill & Holton; Garsington & Horspath; Goring; Haseley Brook; Henley-on-Thames; Kidmore End & Whitchurch; Sonning Common; Thame; Watlington; Wheatley; Woodcote & Rotherfield.[10]
It comprises the bulk of the former Henley parliamentary constituency.[11]
Members of Parliament
Henley prior to 2024
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Freddie van Mierlo | Liberal Democrats | |
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | Freddie van Mierlo | 23,904 | 45.0 | +12.6 | |
| Conservative | Caroline Newton | 17,637 | 33.2 | −21.3 | |
| Reform | Peter Shields | 5,213 | 9.8 | N/A | |
| Labour | Nanda Manley-Browne | 3,574 | 6.7 | −2.2 | |
| Green | Jo Robb | 2,008 | 3.8 | −0.4 | |
| SDP | Maryse Pomlett | 515 | 1.0 | N/A | |
| Independent | David Carpin | 306 | 0.6 | N/A | |
| Majority | 6,267 | 11.8 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 53,157 | 72.1 | −4.1 | ||
| Registered electors | 73,749 | ||||
| Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +17.0 | |||
Elections in the 2010s
| Party | Vote | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 29,333 | 54.5 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 17,432 | 32.4 | |
| Labour | 4,809 | 8.9 | |
| Green | 2,268 | 4.2 | |
| Turnout | 53,842 | 76.2 | |
| Registered electors | 70,626 | ||